Chrono Trigger Goes on Sale
On the other end of the phone, Sakaguchi Hironobu gasped.
He was originally only worried about a simple production schedule issue, but he never expected that in Nakayama Takuya's game of strategy, even the "delay" itself was a brilliant move.
"I—I understand." Sakaguchi Hironobu's voice carried a hint of admiration.
"Don't rush to understand," Nakayama Takuya's tone became cheerful again, "I have another idea, as an advance payment of your emotional distress compensation."
Sakaguchi Hironobu chuckled, "Go ahead, I'm all ears. Let's see what kind of 'torture' this time."
"When Sega releases the Mega Drive cartridge version of Chrono Trigger, we'll hold a concert."
"Concert?"
"Yes, let's call it ' Square Game Concert '." Nakayama Takuya's voice was clear and powerful. "Let's invite Nobuo Uematsu to play the overture for ' Final Fantasy '; and then let Yasunori Mitsuda take the stage so the whole world can hear the pendulum swing of ' Chrono Trigger '. We want to use a true symphony to tell everyone that Square is not just a company that makes top-notch RPGs, but also a temple with top-notch artists."
"We want talented and idealistic young people to know that if they want their work to be heard around the world, they should come to Square, to Sega's stage!"
A long silence followed on the other end of the phone.
This time, Sakaguchi Hironobu offered neither surprise nor praise.
After a long silence, he spoke softly, almost in a daze, "Mr. Nakayama —I—I really don't know what to say. I just wanted to check on the watch's progress—"
He thought he had a golden opportunity, but now he realizes that Nakayama Takuya handed him was a map to the altar.
"Then let's tell Mr. Uematsu and Mitsuda this good news," Nakayama Takuya a smile. "I'm sure they'll be very happy."
"It's more than just happiness—" Sakaguchi Hironobu's voice trembled slightly, "On their behalf, on behalf of the entire Square, thank you."
After hanging up the phone, Nakayama Takuya spun around in his chair, his gaze falling on the calendar on the wall.
November is just around the corner.
November, Tokyo, Akihabara.
In front of the game section of major electronics stores, a huge, high-end black box is placed in the most prominent position.
On the box, the gold-stamped "ChronoTrigger" lettering gleamed under the light, next to the Sega-CD logo.
"This is the work of that RPG Dream Team? It's huge!"
"Of course! Didn't you read the description? The game, vinyl records, CD soundtrack, hardcover art book—my god, Sega is basically selling you a museum package."
The crowd buzzed with discussion, countless eyes filled with longing. But when their gaze fell upon the number "11,800" on the price tag, that longing quickly cooled, turning into gasps of astonishment.
In addition, you also need to buy a Sega-CD for 45,800 Japanese yen, which is simply unaffordable for the average gamer.
"11,800 Japanese yen —that's enough to buy three new games."
"This is insane, absolutely insane."
However, there are always some people whose gaze never wavers from the moment they see the box.
A young man in a jacket walked straight to the counter amidst the onlookers and whispers, took out two Yukichi Fukuzawa from his wallet, and slapped them on the table.
"A set of The Chrono Trigger, thank you."
The shop assistant's face immediately lit up with a smile as he carefully took the huge box out from behind the counter, as if he were handing over a precious work of art.
Amidst countless envious, jealous, and complex gazes mixed with "Is this guy an idiot?", the young man picked up the box, turned and left with firm steps.
Similar scenes are playing out in every corner of Japan.
When the sales figures were announced, many people within Sega were on tenterhooks.
"Executive Director, initial sales... can't compare to the million-dollar sales of MD titles." Department Manager Tanaka stood in front of Nakayama Takuya's desk, his expression somewhat complicated. "However, the feedback from buyers is astonishing, almost 100% positive reviews; they call it 'a work of art.'"
"Artworks need time to be appreciated." Nakayama Takuya looked out the window, his tone unusually calm. "Let word-of-mouth spread for a while."
Jeff, an United States college student studying in Tokyo, was one of those "fools".
He even prepared a little ceremony for unpacking the box, specially changing into Yu Jing's clothes and washing his hands.
As the Sega-CD tray slid out slowly, he placed the CD with the beautifully printed design inside.
Press the power button.
The room was quiet, with only the slight hum of the computer reading discs.
Suddenly, a clear and melodious pendulum chime rang out, as if striking Jeff's heart.
--
On the television screen, Crono, the boy from Akira Toriyama's novel, is awakened in bed by his mother as the bells of the Millennial Fair toll outside the window.
This is no longer the pixelated characters of the Super Famicom, but a near-full-screen animation with smooth movements and rich expressions!
Yasunori Mitsuda's music, which blends Celtic elements, pours out without reservation through the CD source, with every note clear, full, and full of storytelling.
"Oh My God--"
Jeff slumped to the floor, nearly dropping the controller in his hand.
He felt like he wasn't playing a game, but rather appreciating a top-notch animated film.
This money was totally worth it!
When he guided Crono out of his house and into the grand Millennial Fair square, he became completely lost in this world.
A lively crowd, plenty of interactive activities, and hidden mini-games and secrets in every corner----
He forgot about time, forgot about food, and his mind was filled only with the endless joy of exploring the world.
A week later, when the first group of players, who had been working day and night, finally completed this grand story that spanned time and space, and read the credits with tears in their eyes, the public opinion in the entire gaming industry truly began to explode.
Players who had completed the game reappeared before the others, rambling incoherently about their praise and even adoration for the game, summarizing it as "so good it doesn't seem like a game of this era."
The real bomb that ignited all the wait-and-see sentiment was dropped in the latest issue of Famitsu.
"40 points! That's a perfect score!"
In a bookstore in Akihabara, a high school student opened a magazine and his voice changed when he saw the rating page.
People immediately crowded around, countless heads huddled together, staring at the perfect score made up of four "10"s.
"Really? A perfect score for a Sega CD game?"
"Chrono Trigger? You mean the one that sells for a really high price?"
"A perfect score! When was the last time someone got a perfect score? I have to try again!"